"One-Two!"
"Send it out faster!"
"Keep your chin down!"
"Keep your guard up!"
"Put your entire body into it!"
Those words were repeated by the incessant and resounding impacts from the punch mitts. Tatsuya seemed in high-spirits, punching the mitts wherever he chief puts them in rapid succession. Although he was constantly reminded of his shortcomings, the chief could feel that he was constantly improving from the short time he had been here.
"Alright, a five minute break and then we will practise footwork," the chief said as he took off the punch mitts and set them aside.
"They're really going at it," commented Sendo Ryo, a fellow trainee.
"And look at the positions that the coach is carefully placing the mits, one good blow there and it might be deadly," observed Hasegawa Gen'ichiro, another fellow trainee.
"He did the same thing for you guys too, y'all sucked and couldn't hit it properly!" George teased as he was on the skip ropes. "He might just be better than you guys." As George made that final remark, Ryo and Gen'ichiro both felt a shiver down their spines, knowing full well that it might actually be possible if Tatsuya trained here for long enough.
As the chief called Tatsuya forward following their momentary break, he proceeded to introduce a straightforward yet potent footwork exercise, even taking the initiative to provide a brief demonstration. When it was Tatsuya's turn to do the drill, he applied himself diligently, striving to execute the movement flawlessly, and as a result, he became too stiff.
"Stay on your toes, don't ever be flat footed!" With a flick of his wooden cane, the chief brought it upon Tatsuya's rear, sending a sharp jolt of pain that corrected Tatsuya's posture.
In the dimly lit corner of the gym, an amateur boxer by the name of Tsukimiya Keijiro could be seen engaged in an arduous session of shadowboxing, meticulously preparing himself for his upcoming amateur boxing bout. Tatsuya, engrossed in his drills, occasionally caught glimpses of Keijiro's formidable presence, someone who had previously caught his eye. Tatsuya eventually found himself momentarily losing focus, causing him to falter and prompting the chief to administer another swift strike to his rear.
"Quit dawdling, you here to train or not?!" shouted the chief, poising his cane for another swing.
"I know, I know, but who's that?" Tatsuya asked, gesturing towards Keijiro.
"Are you gay or something?" deadpanned the chief jestingly. "Nonetheless, he happens to be my grandson. But why does that matter to you? Just continue the drill before I give you another devastating whooping!"
"Y-Yes!" Tatsuya stammered, returning his focus back to the task at hand.
As the hours slipped away, Tatsuya found solace and a profound sense of sanctuary within the confines of the gym. Something about the atmosphere and the people here t that soothed him, alleviating the weight of his accumulated anxieties. Witch each deliberate stride through the gym's entrance, it felt as if a burdensome load hand been lifted from his weary shoulders.
"Yo, Tatsuya, you gonna join us for roadwork?" George said, with Gen'ichiro and Ryo behind him.
"May I?" Tatsuya answered eagerly.
"Yeah, just remember to keep up," Gen'ichiro said as he walked towards the exit of the gym.
Soon after, they took off in a run, only for Tatsuya to barely be able to keep up with them...
After an arduous thirty minutes had passed, George, Ryo and Gen'ichiro finally returned, while Tatsuya lagged several blocks behind, desperately gasping for air.
"Come on, it wasn't that bad," Ryo commented, with a self-satisfying smirk on his face, relishing the fact that the newbie couldn't keep up.
"Did you seriously think you would have caught up to us?" Gen'ichiro jested, nudging Ryo's shoulder playfully.
"Of course not...! Why would I ever think that...?" Ryo nonchalantly shrugged, dismissing the insinuation without a second thought.
As they waited for what seemed to be an eternity, the distant Tatsuya gradually emerged, seemingly crawling towards them, drenched in sweat.
"BAHAHAHAHA! You look absolutely pathetic right now!" George wheezes as he bursts out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. However, being the decent human beings that they were, Ryo held George in place silently, preventing him from escaping, while Gen'ichiro swiftly unleashed a kick towards George's family jewels, his balls perhaps. With the ensuing agony leaving George writhing beneath their feet.
"Why don't we go out somewhere to eat later, it is getting late after all," Ryo suggested.
"Sounds good, you coming?" Gen'ichiro nodded, extending a helping hand to Tatsuya.
"That would be nice, thanks for having me," Tatsuya said, accepting Gen'ichiro's assistance, with a familiar bashfulness in his tone.
"Say, you should probably come to George's title defense match in a months time, I could always ask him for an extra ticket," Gen'ichiro said, his tone inviting and warm.
"Really?! I would love to come!" Tatsuya's eyes shimmered with an undeniable enthusiasm.
"BAHAHA! Look how happy he is right now. But jokes aside, you could just ask if you wanted to come," Ryo chimed in, a smile adorning his face.
"Th-Thank you," Tatsuya replied with palpable gratitude.
"Anyways, ho does ramen sound?" Ryo suggested
"Yeah, sounds great," Tatsuya and Gen'ichiro both nodded in agreement, as they soon headed towards a nearby ramen stand.
In the heart of the bustling city, where they where headed, standing amidst the network of narrow streets and neon-lit alleyways, stood a ramen stand that stood out from the rest. As the nightfall painted the sky with inky hues, the air became thick with a symphony of tantalizing aromas. The modest stand, bore witness to countless patrons who had surrendered themselves to the allure of its culinary mastery.
As they all approached the entrance, they were met with a vibrant tapestry of sights and sound. The air crackled with the sizzling ingredients, accompanied by the hum of conversation and the occasional burst of laughter.
Gen'ichiro, picked out a seat for them and they sat down, settling their belongings down in a small basket beneath their seats. They each gave ordered their own bowl of ramen and thanked the diligent waiter, who had to keep up with the ridiculous influx of customers.
With every passing moment spent with Gen'ichiro and Ryo, Tatsuya couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe this was what it was like to have friends, though they did not know each other for very long. For the most part, he kept his head down, finding it extremely difficult to make eye-contact with both Ryo and Gen'ichiro as they seemed to get along very well.
"Something wrong?" Ryo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"N-No... It's just that, I've never had friends before," Tatsuya answered, not knowing what else to say.
"Don't worry about it, let's just enjoy ourselves, how old are you again?" Gen'ichiro said, putting his arm around Tatsuya's shoulder.
"I'm sixteen, why do you ask?" Tatsuya replied, looking at Gen'ichiro.
"Oh... So you're only a year away before you can take the test to becoming a pro," Ryo remarked, looking back at his daunting memories for when he took the induction.
Then suddenly, their bowls of ramen had arrived, with the mouthwatering aroma of carefully concocted ingredients filling up the small stand.
"I'll dig in then," Tatsuya started to eat the bowl of ramen that had been presented to him and this prompted the others to do the same.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the cityscape, the day gradually drew to a close. With Ryo and Gen'ichiro living in close proximity, they walked to the train station together after saying their goodbyes. Meanwhile, Tatsuya, living a few streets away, walked along a solitary path, tracing along the riverbank.
With each step, Tatsuya's heart sought solace amidst the calming nature of the evening. The gentle caress of a cool breeze teased his senses.
As he navigated the winding path, a wave of emotions mingled within him. As he walked through the daunting underpass, he tried to cloud negative memories tied to it with new meaningful ones. The rhythmic clicking of his footsteps echoed in tandem with the beating of his heart, a steady tune guiding him forward...